Spreader for tubular knit fabrics



Nov. 25, 1969 F. CATALLO SPREADER FOR TUBULAR KNIT FABRICS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb.

M Umh INVENTOR.

FRANK CATALLO ATTORNEY Nov. 25, 1969 F. CATALLO SPREADER FOR TUBULAR KNIT FABRICS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb.

INVENTOR.

FRANK CATA LLO ATTORNEY Nov. 25, 1969 F. CATALLO SPREADER FOR TUBULAR KNIT FABRICS 3 Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb. 1, 1968 INVENTOR. FRANK CATALLO ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,479,706 SPREADER FOR TUBULAR KNIT FABRICS Frank Catallo, Elmont, N.Y., assignor to Fab-Con Machinery Development Corp., Paterson, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey 1 Filed Feb. 1, 1968, Ser. No. 702,418 Int. Cl. D06c /00, 3/00 US. Cl. 2655 15 Claims ABSTRACT or THE DISCLOSURE This invention is directed to a spreader for circular knit fabric tubes and includes a pair of spaced frame members each having a pair of idler wheels at the front for initially expanding the tube arid a set of nip-driven rolls, rollers and edge wheels at the rear thereof for engaging substantially the entire inner circumference of the tube and advancing it into the associated nip. Opposed pairs of driven tapered rolls are provided intermediate the ends of the frame members for externally advancing edge portions of the expanded tube and for maintaining the spreader in its correct lateral position.

This invention relates generally to new and useful improvement in textile processing equipment and particularly seeks to provide a novel spreader for tubular knit fabrics so constructed as to feed the fabric tube thereover without undesirable localized tensions that would otherwise produce edge marks and distortions.

After a tubular knit fabric has been produced on a circular knitting machine it must undergo further processing to put it in condition for cutting into garments. Such processing, whether wet or dry, almost always requires expanding the knit tube to a desired size and delivering the expanded tube in flattened form under controlled conditions to a subsequent processing operation such as chemical impregnation, steaming, dyeing or compressive shrinkage.

Heretofore, the standard way of expanding the knit tub has been through the use of spreaders that incorporate external edge drive wheels that engage and support internal spreading devices that require belts to carry and drive the edge portions of the fabric tube. In those types or spreaders control of the center portions of the fabric is dependent on tensions applied thereto. The localized pressures of the edge drive wheels, particularly when wet fabric is being processed, create undesirable edge marks which may make the fabric unusable, especially if the fabric tube is subsequently slit and opened for use in a single layer condition. Depending on where the fabric is slit, either one or two continuous longitudinal marks will appear forcing the garment cutter to work around these defects to produce a quality garment and resulting in considerable fabric waste. The tensions needed to control the center portions also produce undesirable effects such as increased lengthwise shrinkage in the final fabric and require increased loads on the edge drive wheels to overcome the tensions, thus aggravating the edge mark problem.

However, spreaders constructed in accordance with this invention overcome these problems, and provide means for spreading and controlling the geometry of circular knit fabrics without unnecessary tensions.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a novel spreads for circular or tubular knit fabrics in which the fabric advancing devices engage substantially the full circumference of the fabric tube.

Another object of this invention is to provide a spreader of the character stated that operates against two nipforming rolls so that the spread and flattened tube may 3,479,706 Patented Nov. 25, 1969 immediately enter the nip therebetween without any change in its geometrical configuration.

Another object of this invention is to provide a spreader of the character stated in which the nip rolls support one end thereof, the other end being supported by spaced sets of externally driven tapered feed rolls.

Another object of this invention is to provide a spreader of the character stated that includes auxiliary feed wheels driven by the nip rolls to advance side portions of the expanded and flattened fabric tube.

Another object of this invention is to provide a spreader of the character stated that includes a pair of forwardly and rearwardly tapered frame plate maintained in spaced parallel relation by adjustable spacers and connected at their front ends by a generally U-shaped heavy gauge wire guide.

A further object of this invention is to provide a spreader of the character stated in which the front end of each frame plate is provided with a pair of relatively large diameter upper and lower horizontal idler wheels rotatable about a vertical axis for effecting expansion of the fabric tube beyond that effected by its engagement over the semicircular wire guide.

A further object of this invention is to provide a spreader of the character stated that is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

With these and other objects, the nature of which will be apparent, the invention will be more fully understood by reference to the drawings, the accompanying detailed description and the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a fabric spreader constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical section, partly in elevation, taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation, partly in section, showing two spreaders as they would be arranged to handle two fabric tubes into a single pair of nip rolls; and

FIG. 5 is a rear end elevation of the spreader.

Referring to the drawings in detail the invention, as illustrated, is embodied in a spreader for tubular fabrics and includes a pair of horizontal frame plates 5, Shaving spaced parallel inner edges 6, 6 and having their forward outer edge portions tapered as at 7 and their rearward outer edge portions tapered as at 8 in order to reduce the areas of contact with the fabric tube to be expanded and flattened. The upper and lower faces of the frame plates 5 are uniformly tapered from the inner edges to the outer edges thereof and the outer edges thereof are rounded as a 9 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) to permit smooth passage of the fabric tube therealong.

The frame plates 5 are maintained in adjustable spaced parallel relationship by a telescopic spacer 10 provided with a spring-loaded locking stud 11 carried by the inner element of the spacer and adapted to be received within a selected hole 12 in the outer element thereof.

A generally U-shaped heavy gauge wire guide 13 has its ends removably secured to the front ends of the frame plates 5 and is sufficiently flexible to adapt to changes in spacing therebetween within the limits of adjustment of the spacer 10.

The front end of each frame plate 5 carries a pair of relatively large diameter, smooth surfaced and smooth edged, upper and lower idler wheels 14 and 15 rotatable about a vertical spindle 16.

The rear end of each frame plate 5 is provided with a pair of longitudinally extending upper and lower lugs 17, 17 which retain short transverse axles 18. The outer end of each axle 18 carries a short tubular roller 19 mounted on spaced ball bearings 20 and 21, of which the cage of the bearing 20 is aflixed to the roller 19 and its race is slidable along the axle 18 and the cage of the bearing 21 is slidable within the roller 19 and its race is aflixed to the axle 18. A compression spring 22 is fitted over the axle 18 intermediate the bearings 20 and 21 and tends to bias the bearings apart, thus tending to move the roller 19 outwardlyalong the axle into friction driving contact with an associated driven edge wheel as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

The inner ends of each opposed pair of axles 18 rotatably support a bearing-mounted telescoping roll 23 which changes length whenever the spacing between the frame plates 5 is changed through adjustment of the spacer 10. The mean outside diameter of the roll 23 is slightly less than that of the rollers 19.

The rear end of each frame plate 5 is provided with a short vertical axle 24 having its axis lying in a vertical plane containing the axes of the axles 18. A pair of symmetrically opposed edge wheels 25, v25 each having a flange 26, are bearing-mounted on the projecting ends of each axle 24. The periphery of each .wheel 25 abuts the end of an associated roller 19 in on center relation to the axis thereof, and the compression springs 22 keep the roller ends in friction-driving contact with the wheels 25.

The rollers 19, the telescoping rolls 23 and the flanged edge wheels 25 collectively define an internal substantially circumferential feeding means for an expanded fabric tube being advanced thereover, and obtain their driving force primarily through friction contact between the rollers 19 and a pair of nip-forming rolls 27, 27 (see FIG. 2) of an associated extractor pad when the spreader is installed in its operative position. The peripheral speed of the flanges 26 of the wheels 25 is greater than that of the rollers 19 to overcome the relative lagging of the extreme edges of the tube in comparison with the advance of the center portion thereof.

The upper and lower faces of each frame plate 5, at the widest portion thereof are provided with inset wear plates 28, 28 adapted to resist the feeding pressure of opposed pairs of rubber covered feed rolls 29, 29 mounted on a pair of spaced parallel oppositely rotating drive shafts 30, 30 operably connected to any suitable variable speed drive unit (not shown). Each pair of feed rolls 29 is tapered generally to conform to the lateral taper of the associated frame plate 5, and typically this taper may be on the order of four inches per foot for average operating conditions. It will be appreciated, however, that this taper may be changed to better accommodate different types or weights of knitted fabric tubes or to provide optimum operating conditions where only a single type and weight of wet or dry fabric tube is to be processed over a prolonged period of time.

In order to provide adjustability whenever the spacing between the frame plates 5 is changed, one pair of the tapered rolls 29 is rigidly affixed to the respective shafts 30 while the opposite pair of tapered rolls 29 is mounted on bushings 31 (see FIG. 3) slidably keyed to the respective shafts 30. An air or hydraulic cylinder 33, carried by a frame element 34, acts upon a bearing plate 35 to axially adjust the position of the bushings 31 and their associated tapered rolls 29 and also serves to apply axial pressure to those rolls to ensure a proper friction drive with respect to the side frames 5 and to assist in maintaining the spreader frame in its proper operating position.

' In operation, the free end of a rope of a continuous knitted fabric tube is drawn over the guide wire 13 and the wheels 14 and 15 at the front of the spreader, then is passed between the wear plates28 and the tapered rolls 29 and then over the rollers .19, the rolls 23 and the flanges 26 of the edge wheels 25, and then directly into the nip between the extractor pad rolls 27, 27, the

tapered rolls 29 advance the edge portions of the expanded and flattened, fabric tube while the rollers 19, the rolls 23 and the flanges 26 of the edge wheels, collectively advance the fabric tube by engagement with substantially the entire internal circumference thereof, receiving their power from frictional drive from the nip rolls 27. -r.

When the fabric leaves the spreader to enter the nip between the rolls 27,27 the fabric edges tend to lag behind when the. fabric drops in width, hence the need for operating the edge wheels 25 at speeds such that the flanges 26 thereof. have a peripheral speed greater than the speed of advance of the center portions of the fabric. Furthermore, in order to deliver the fabric with a straight or undistorted crossline, the circumferential drive rollers 19 and rolls 23 require help from the tapered rolls 29. By varying the speed of the tapered rolls 29, the side portions of the fabric relatively can be moved forward or held back, thus eliminating a crossline bow. It should also be mentioned that another function of the tapered rolls 29 is to drive the extreme edge portions of the flattened tube at a faster rate than the next adjacent sections, thus helping to overcome the fabric drag at the widest section of the spreader.

As will be seen in FIG. 4 of the drawings, the compactness of this spreader construction enables two or more of the spreaders to be installed across the nip of an extractor, using common drive shafts for the tapered rolls 29 on each. I

It is of course to be understood that variations in arrangements and proportions of parts may be made within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a spreader for circular knit fabric tubes; a frame; two sets of laterally spaced upper and lower idler wheels located adjacent the front of said frame and freely rotatable about their vertical axes, portions of the peripheries of said idler Wheels extending laterally beyond the associated edges of said frame; two sets of laterally spaced upper and lower circumferential drive rollers rotatable about horizontal axes and located adjacent the rear of said frame; and a set of upper and lower edge drive wheels rotatable about vertical axes and operably associated with each set of said circumferential rollers and frictionally driven thereby.

2. The spreader of claim 1 in which said frame comprises a pair of frame members arranged in spaced parallel relation and means are provided for adjusting the spacing therebetween.

3. The spreader of claim 1 additionally including means for resiliently biasing said circumferential drive rollers into driving contact with said edge drive wheels.

4. The spreader of claim 1 additionally including a circumferential drive roll interposed between each pair of said upper and said lower circumferential drive rollers.

5. The spreader of claim 4 in which said frame comprises a pair of frame members arranged in spaced parallel relation and means are provided for adjusting the spacing therebetween, said circumferential drive rolls being of telescopic construction whereby their lengths are varied in accordance with changes in spacing between said frame members.

6. The spreader of claim 1 in which the outer edge portions of said frame are symmetrically tapered and which additionally includes two sets of independently driven, symmetrically opposed, upper and lower tapered rolls for externally advancing edge portions of said frame for externally advancing edge portions of a fabric tube being moved over said frame.

7. The spreader of claim 6 additionally including a horizontal, forwardly extending, generally U-shaped, wire guide attached to the front of said frame.

8. The spreader of claim 6 additionally including a circumferential drive roll interposed between each pair of said upper and said lower circumferential drive rollers. 9. The spreader of claim 8 additionally including a pair of upper and lower independently driven, nip-forming rolls located adjacent the rear of said frame and respectively in friction driving contact with said sets of upper and lower circumferential drive rollers.

10. The spreader of claim 9 additionally including a horizontal, forwardly extending, generally U-shaped, wire guide attached to the front of said frame.

11. The spreader of Claim 8 in which said frame comprises -a pair of frame members arranged in spaced parallel relation and means are provided for adjusting the spacing therebetween, said circumferential drive rolls being of telescopic construction whereby their lengths are varied in accordance with changes in spacing between said frame members.

12. The spreader of claim 11 in which said tapered rolls are rubber covered.

13. The spreader of claim 11 additionally including means for moving one of said sets of tapered rolls towards or away from the other set thereof.

14. The spreader of claim 13 additionally including a pair of upper and lower independently driven, nip-forming rolls located adjacent the rear of said frame and respectively in friction driving contact with said sets of upper and lower circumferential drive rollers.

15. The spreader of claim 13 additionally including a horizontal, forwardly extending, generally U-shaped, wire guide attached to the front of said frame.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 118,519 8/1871 Denton 2655 1,113,905 10/1914 Pease 2655 1,640,491 8/ 1927 Dykes 2655 1,790,655 2/1931 Cohn 2655 3,119,168 1/1964 Fleissner 2655 FOREIGN PATENTS 162,864 5/ 1921 Great Britain.

453,099 9/ 1936 Great Britain. 1,014,070 12/ 1965 Great Britain.

ROBERT R. MACKEY, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 26--5 1.3

@ 3 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No; 3.479.706 Dated Nov. -25, 1969' Iiwentofls) F. Catallo It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 33, after "invention" insert certain parts being broken away or shown in cross section for better illustration line 34, after "along" insert staggered Column 3, last line, cancel the" and substitute The Column 4'-, line 68, i.e. claim 6, line S, cancel "for externally advancing" and substitute associated with the tapered SIGNED IND 5mm 'ZB T911 Q EAL Anon:

dWardMFletcher L mull E. suauxm. .m.

commoner of Patents 

